Puppy Love

Ch. 5

Disclaimer: Do not own.

A/N: Special thanks to ZeraZion and lovedove who gave me some great ideas for this fic! And another special thanks to Lets Random for beta-reading this chapter!

Gohan was running out of time.

The martial arts tournament was three days away and he had yet to figure out a way to conceal his identity for the adult division. The hair dye didn't work the way he hoped it would – no, far from it, in fact. It merely exploded off his head of hair from the force of his Ki. Although training was his top priority, he still worried over this problem.

The fact of the matter was: if Gohan couldn't find a proper disguise for himself, he wouldn't be able to enter the adult division; period.

He decided it was time to seek advice elsewhere. Petty disguises like masks and hair dye just wasn't going to cut it. He was still a kid, and therefore he would still look like a kid.

After eating breakfast and finishing up his studies before ChiChi threw a fit, Gohan thought it would be a good idea to visit Uranai Baba. Able to sense her Ki, he knew she had been visiting Master Roshi frequently as of late, so he headed south to the Kame House.

The half-Saiyan spotted the fortuneteller outside on the beached island. Honing in, Gohan's ears perked, listening to the witch's chanting as she stretched her arms and hands out to her levitating crystal ball, "Oh, hoi, hoi, hoi, poi…"

Landing but a few feet away from her, Gohan watched Baba turn her attention to him.

"Well, well! Gohan, it's nice to see you here. It's been a while," her wrinkled lips curled into a welcoming smile.

"Hi, Baba. It's nice to see you," he warmly replied, "What were you looking at?" he pointed at her crystal ball in curiosity.

"The winner of the Tenkaichi Budukai Tournament," she turned back to her fortunetelling ball.

"R-really?" Gohan's interest perked up, "Who is it? Who's the winner?"

"Not telling," she dismissed his curiosity with a wave of a hand. Peering out of the corner of her eye, Baba smirked as she watched the boy's face turn glum, "I'm just pulling your leg. You really think I would use my powers to see who would win a silly tournament?" she guffawed.

Pouting, Gohan whined, "Aw, that was dirty!"

Clearing her throat, Baba's expression became stoic, "You came here to see me, correct?"

"That's right. I was hoping you could help me out."

The witch nodded at him to continue, "What is it you need?"

"I need to properly disguise myself for the tournament's adult division. There's only three days left and I'm out of ideas. You wouldn't happen to know any tricks up your sleeve, would you?"

"A disguise for the adult division?" she pondered on the thought, "You need to look like a man and not a kid, correct? Why, that's simple."

"Really? So you'll help me out?" Gohan burst out in enthusiasm.

"Anything for Goku's kid. Come back in a little bit and I'll have the perfect disguise concocted for you."

"T-thanks!" Gohan was relieved that visiting Baba went smoother than he thought it would go. Knowing of her and Master Roshi's relationship, he had mentally prepared himself for a heated sibling feud in the midst of it all. However his cognitive efforts were not met with the usual bickering that would generally occur.

The half-Saiyan figured he would train while he waited. He couldn't help but wonder how Vegeta was doing with his training, and how much he had trained this past month in comparison to himself. Of course, Vegeta had always dedicated his whole life to becoming stronger, so it may have been safe to say the prince's training was far more intense than his own. Gohan at least knew that the man was not focused on suppressing his strength in front of such a large audience like he was.

'Maybe I'm overthinking it. Maybe I shouldn't be so focused on limiting my strength. Mom would have a fit if I lost to Vegeta after all…' the boy thought to himself. He then violently shook his head, clearing his mind, 'What am I thinking? Of course I need to limit my strength. I don't want to blow up an entire stadium now, do I?'

It didn't seem to take long until Baba floated out of the Kame House on her crystal ball. In her hand she carried a small tube filled with a pink liquid.

Gohan halted his exercises and walked up to Baba, pointing at the tube in a quizzical manner.

The witch nodded at his silent question before she stated, "It's finished," she then looked down at the liquid-filled tube in her hand, "Now Gohan, the instructions are simple: just drink it," she then handed it over to the boy with a smile.

"B-but… aren't you going to tell me what it does?" raising an eyebrow, he became hesitant on taking the tube from her.

Frowning, Baba swung her head to the side with a huff, "You came to me for my help, didn't you? It's 'take it or leave it'!"

With a deep breath, Gohan decided to hell with it. He grabbed the tube from the fortuneteller and studied the pink liquid inside. Furrowing his brow at the concocted drink and then to Baba, he repeated her words, "Just drink it, huh?"

She nodded, "The amount you drink will determine how long the disguise will stay in effect for."

"OK… so if I just want to test it out for now, I should just take a sip," the boy assessed.

At that, Gohan popped the cork off the tube and sipped the pink liquid. Replacing the cork, the boy blinked a few times, curious to know if his appearance changed in any way.

With a sudden pop, smoke quickly engulfed the boy's figure. A moment or two passed before the smoke began to clear, revealing the heart of Baba's concoction.

She smirked, "Works better than I anticipated!"

Gohan felt somewhat disoriented. Baba looked smaller than a moment ago. The distance from his eyes to the ground seemed further away. His clothes felt tighter around his body. He looked down at his hands and furrowed his brow. Did he really just transform like the fortuneteller was indicating? He didn't look any different, at least from what he could perceive of himself.

The boy walked into the house and headed into the bathroom. Peering at the full-length mirror, he gasped at the stranger looking back at him. A tall man stood there with dark red hair and navy blue eyes.

"Is… is this me?" Gohan had to ask as Baba entered the bathroom.

She didn't answer. She didn't seem to need to answer either. It was pretty obvious at this point; it was just difficult for the half-Saiyan to wrap this fact around his head.

Gohan ran his fingers through the foreign red color in his hair. A few bangs dangled in front of his forehead, where the rest of his short hair spiked upwards. He swung his torso around side to side to get a glimpse of his new physique. He certainly looked like an adult now: tall – maybe six-foot – broad shoulders, thick jawline, and his overall musculature was far more built. He must have looked at least 18-years old, he assessed to himself.

"Wow," was all he could muster up to say. Even his voice sounded different. It was deep, and no longer contained the pubescent voice cracks he was too embarrassed to even think about, "Thanks, Baba! This is great. No one's going to know this is me, now!"

o (o) (O) (o) o

Gohan flew north after his visit with Baba. He wanted to test this disguise out, and decided what better way was there to do that than to leisurely walk around the city? However, he first needed to change his clothes. His white Mandarin style shirt and black pants were much too small for his new body.

Stopping by at home, Gohan walked through the front door.

"Gohan, is that you?" ChiChi called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, Mom, it's me," he nonchalantly replied.

ChiChi's ears perked up at the unrecognizable voice. Tensing up, she crept over to the doorway and cautiously popped her head out to see who it was.

"W-wh-who are you? Get out!" she shrieked as she leaped out from the doorway, shooting her arm out at him.

Startled, Gohan jumped backwards as he caught eye of the sharp kitchen knife his mother held in her hand. "M-Mom! It's me! Gohan!"

"Are you kidding me? I'm not stupid! Get out before I do something you'll regret!"

"B-but, it really is me!" he frantically waved his hands in front of him, "Mom, you have to believe me! I went to see Baba; remember what I told you this morning?"

Taking a moment to analyze the situation, ChiChi stared intently at the red-haired stranger. It was true that her son informed her about his plan to visit Baba for a disguise. But looking at the supposed disguise in front of her… was all too real to even assume it was a masquerade.

"G-Gohan… is that really you…?"

The half-Saiyan exhaled in relief seeing his mother relax the hand that wielded the knife down by her side.

Walking up to him, ChiChi studied his temporary body from head to toe. Gohan's eyebrow cocked as he watched her face suddenly turn into a scowl, then into a pouting frown, all before tears began to surface.

"M-my… my little baby!" she wailed, "Your hair! Your eyes! Wahhhh…!"

"M-Mom! Don't worry," he desperately tried to comfort her, "it's just temporary! Honest!"

However his words didn't seem to reach her. She was too busy crying and wailing about how her son had become a delinquent, and how she wanted her baby back.

o (o) (O) (o) o

Gohan couldn't help but feel tense after his encounter with his mother. He knew she would be alright in the end; it was merely a shock to see him in such an alien state. His mother's reaction certainly validated how well his disguise concealed him, but nevertheless, Gohan headed over to Satan City like he had originally intended to really put it to the test.

Indeed, the half-Saiyan managed to find fitting clothes for his new body back at home. He had rummaged through his mother's closet and found some old clothes his father once wore: dull-green slacks, a white tank top and an orange/black windbreaker – clothes that reminded him of the brief and leisurely time he had with Goku before the Cell Games.

Landing in Satan City, the adult-turned boy walked into the city's park. It didn't take long for him to notice the immense amount of stares directed at him. Gohan felt droplets of sweat forming along his forehead as his heartbeat quickened.

Gulping, he thought to himself, 'Why is everyone staring at me like that? Er, this feels really uncomfortable…'

Little did the boy realize that the stares were all coming from nearby women. His Saiyan ears managed to pick up a few whispered conversations nearby:

"Mm, look at that hunk!" one sighed.

"Dare me to go up to him and talk to him?" another giggled.

"Oh my. If only I didn't tie the knot last month…" another one pouted.

Blushing furiously, Gohan quickened his pace and slouched in an attempt to hide his face. However his attempts were futile, as he quickly noticed the women treading behind in a lustful manner. The boy couldn't help but sigh. He had asked for an adult disguise, not a lady-magnet!

Gohan's troubled thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. Looking behind him, he spotted a young attractive brunette bashfully twiddling her fingers as she looked at the ground.

Quizzically and nervously, he turned around and asked, "Yes?"

Her cheeks flurried into a crimson red, "Um… are… are you new around here?"

Hearing her nervous voice only made him feel more nervous, "N-not particularly, I guess…"

"I… I've never seen you around here before," she quietly mentioned with her cheeks burning, "What's your name?"

"M-my name?" Gohan paused for a second, "Um… it's… uh…"

'Crap. What is my name?' it hadn't occurred to him that he didn't think of this predicament.

Taking note of his hesitancy, the girl retracted her curiosity. Her face beat red in embarrassment, she blurted out, "I'm sorry to bother you!" and ran off.

Gohan didn't even notice her disappearance. He was still looking up towards the sky in deep thought, completely oblivious to the numerous lustful stares surrounding him.

He needed a name.

"Maybe if I spelled my name backwards – 'Nahog'? Er, that doesn't sound right. Hmm," he continued to ponder, "…'Nos'," he then said to himself, "Yeah, that's it, Nos!"

The lustful stares quickly transformed into befuddled ones, unsure as to why the attractive red-haired man was suddenly talking to himself.

However, that was the last thing on his mind. With a proper disguise along with an alias, Gohan knew he was ready for the tournament. He planned to spend the next three days in intensive training.

o (o) (O) (o) o

Three days passed quickly, and the Tenkaichi Budukai Tournament had finally arrived. Gohan could barely contain his excitement. Not only was he going to be able to fight and win some prize money, he was also going to see Videl again. However, he still wasn't sure how he was going to go about competing in the junior division. Should he lose on purpose? Or should he win for the sake of the prize money? It was quite the dilemma for the half-Saiyan. Despite it all, he figured that would be a decision he would make at the spur of the moment.

Gohan boarded the Capsule Corp. aircraft along with his mother and his baby brother, Bulma and baby Trunks, and lastly, Vegeta. He wanted to invite the other Z fighters along to cheer him and Vegeta on at the tournament, but unfortunately the rest were unable to make it.

Bulma was piloting the aircraft, which inevitably ended with Vegeta holding his infant son for the duration of the ride – something Gohan never thought he would see. It was amusing to say the least, what with Vegeta's all too familiar scowl while a carefree Trunks was cradled within his arms. The half-Saiyan knew not to say anything about it though, or else he might feel the repercussions of the prince wrath during their match.

"So, Gohan, you have your disguise ready?" Bulma inquired.

He nodded in reply, "Yup! It's all set and ready to go. Baba gave me enough of that potion to transform myself for the whole adult division."

"Good," Vegeta haughtily chimed in, "Your short limbs won't deter you from a fair match with me then."

Gohan huffed and thought to himself, 'You're pretty short yourself, Vegeta.'

The crew landed in front of the tournament entrance and Bulma popped the jet back into its Capsule once everyone disembarked off the aircraft. Walking alongside with everyone else, Gohan looked left and right in search for Videl. It was extremely crowded. There were families sightseeing, fangirls crowding around attractive martial artists, and a mix of everyone in between walking around, talking amongst each other or eating. The half-Saiyan decided it would be too difficult to spot the pigtailed girl in this chaos, and would wait until everyone gathered for the junior division.

Spotting the line to register for the tournament, Gohan pointed towards the booth, "Look, that's where we sign up. Let's go!"

"OK, kiddo. This is where we part," ChiChi said as she continued to cradle Goten, "We'll be rooting for you, Gohan!"

"Do your best, Vegeta!" Bulma happily chimed in as she mimicked a wave with Trunks's little hand.

At that, Vegeta and Gohan parted ways from the women and their kids and lined up behind the other fighters. The prince's turn finally approached, and he stepped up to the booth. Without a word, he merely signed his name under the column titled, 'Adult Division' and walked off to the waiting area. Gohan stepped up afterwards, and signed his name under 'Junior Division'. He then shifted over to write down his alias under 'Adult Division', until the man at the booth stopped him.

"Whoa – you can't sign other people up, kid," he shoved the boy's hand away from the sign-up sheet.

"B-but, he's a friend of mine. He's just, um, running late," Gohan tried to reason.

"No can do, kid. Sorry. Your friend's gotta be here to sign up for the tournament. No if's, and's or but's."

'Crud… what am I supposed to do? I guess I have no choice,' Gohan sighed in his head. He then hopped out of line and headed to a nearby bathroom.

Stepping into one of the stalls, he locked it before he pulled out a flask of Baba's potion. Studying it, he assessed to himself, "OK. I just need to transform to sign up for the adult division. So I should only drink a tiny drop."

Gohan quickly changed out of his clothes into a navy blue gi with a red sash and wristbands, specifically tailored by Bulma for his adult body. He then dabbed a few droplets of the potion onto his tongue and waited a few seconds before a puff of smoke enveloped his eyesight, all before he completed his adult transformation. Stepping out of the bathroom stall, he headed towards one of the mirrors and glanced at his adult physique. Content with his appearance, he headed back out to the sign-up booth.

Gohan finally managed to sign himself up for the adult division as 'Nos'. The man at the booth directed him to wait with the other adult fighters, however he knew he would have to compete in the junior division first. Therefore, he headed to the junior division waiting area.

Stares emitted from every corner in the junior's waiting room. Kids questioned him with quizzical eyes, wondering why this adult was waiting with the junior division contestants.

Before Gohan could head to a bathroom to wait for his transformation to expire and change out of his adult clothes, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

Turning around, he met a familiar face.

"You're in the wrong division, you know."

"V-Videl!" he piped up, happy to see her.

Cocking an eyebrow, the pigtailed girl asked hesitantly, "Do I know you?"

Forgetting for that moment he was Nos, Gohan quickly retracted his elated voice, "Er, n-no! I just… I'm a big fan of your father," he managed to sputter out.

Unsure of his suspicious mannerism, Videl studied the blue-eyed man's uneasy composure, "This might sound a little strange, but you remind me of someone."

"O-oh, is that so?" he nervously rubbed the back of his neck, "I wonder who that is! Heh, heh…"

Taking a moment before replying, she muttered, "Yeah, I wonder too…"

"W-well, I should get going. Uh, to the adult division, that is," he then turned and took a step towards the waiting room's exit.

"Hold on."

Feeling even more anxious than before, Gohan rigidly turned his head back to the young girl.

"…What's your name?"

"N-Nos," he tentatively replied.

The half-Saiyan suddenly felt baffled as he watched Videl's cheeks flush to a light pink. Not sure of what else to say, Gohan quickly turned around and left the area.

'Ho, boy. That was close…'

Videl couldn't help but ponder who that strange man was hanging around in the junior division. The thought of the red-haired man lingered in her mind as she waited for the tournament to start.

Not long after, she spotted a familiar boy walking through the doorway to where she and the rest of the young contestants waited.

Happily running up to him, she called out, "Gohan!"

"H-hi, Videl," the boy nervously smiled back at her, his mind still in the mode of his alias.

"Glad you made it. I was starting to think you were gonna bail!"

He shook his head in reply, "Well, I'm here, and ready!"

The two waited together for the tournament to begin. Gohan couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy having to have to adorn two personas in front of the blue-eyed girl standing next to him. Nonetheless, he knew he had to trudge through and make it to the end of the day unveiled.

o (o) (O) (o) o

The time finally came to round up all the junior division contestants to pair up fights. Each kid was told to pick a numbered ball out of a large box, which ultimately placed them on a slot to compete against another fighter. Names were called, and one by one, kids and young teens alike drew numbers.

"Satan Videl," the man called out her name.

The pigtailed girl walked up to the box and rummaged through blindly with her hand. She then pulled a ball out and revealed the number 6.

"Son Gohan," he then called out.

Gulping, Gohan shifted over to the box and plunged his hand in to pick out a number.

"Number 3," the man noted.

The half-Saiyan studied the board which indicated who would be matched up with whom. 'Looks like nobody's picked 4 yet.'

The rest of the kids picked their numbers, and the number 4 slot was finally filled. Gohan peered over at the boy who filled the slot next to his name, and assessed that he was just a normal kid. It wouldn't take more than a light shove to get a ring-out. The boy sighed, realizing the junior division was going to be somewhat boring. As long as he could win some prize money, he would be content with that.

It would only be a matter of time until he and Vegeta would be able to face off against each other in the adult division.

End, chapter 5.

A/N: Sorry for the wait, I've had a very hectic weekend and overall have been fairly busy for the past two weeks.

To help you visualize Gohan's alias, Nos, think of Mirai Gohan in Super Saiyan form with dark red hair and navy blue eyes (nix the scar). ;)

Here is the link to a sketch of Nos: http:/ / ijustwokeup(.)deviantart(.)com/art/Nos-291478954

Hope you enjoyed this chapter; please let me know with any comments, criticisms, or suggestions! I appreciate all your reviews – they have been a great help to me.